Mets right-hander Drew Smith says that his ulnar collateral ligament has significant damage and will likely require Tommy John surgery, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X. The righty is getting a second opinion but seems slated for a lengthy absence.
If surgery is ultimately required, it’s terrible timing for Smith. He is set for free agency at the end of this season and was putting up some decent numbers. He has made 19 appearances for the Mets so far this year, allowing 3.06 earned runs per nine innings. His 11.4% walk rate is a bit high but he’s countered that with a strong 29.1% strikeout rate.
He’s also been playing a key role in the club’s bullpen in recent years, with two saves and six holds here in 2024. He also saved three games last year and got double-digit hold numbers in each of the previous two seasons. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has a 3.35 ERA in 161 1/3 innings with a 26.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate.
That would have been a decent platform to take into free agency if he were healthy and continued pitching well for the next few months. Instead, it seems likely that he’ll be going into the open market while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the second of his career. He already went under the knife in March of 2019, missing that season and most of 2020.
An emotional Smith spoke to reporters, with video relayed on X by SNYtv. As Smith himself articulated, there’s never a good time to undergo this kind of procedure but it would be especially frustrating for it to both conclude his time with the Mets and also hamper him going into his first trip to free agency.
Players in this position will sometimes find two-year deals, with the signing club aware that they are unlikely to get much return on their investment in the first year, but hopefully getting a bounceback at a discount in the second year. He’s already on the 15-day injured list and will likely be transferred to the 60-day IL once the Mets need his roster spot.
For the Mets, this will give them a bit less bullpen depth for the rest of the year. They’ve already lost Brooks Raley to Tommy John surgery while Sean Reid-Foley and Shintaro Fujinami are also on the IL at the moment. Edwin Díaz is a big question mark at the moment as he has struggled in his return after missing all of last year and is currently serving a ten-game sticky stuff suspension.
Despite some challenges, the Mets are just one game back of a playoff spot at the moment. If they hang around for the next month, they could perhaps look to upgrade their relief corps at the deadline, though a significant losing streak could also push them into seller position.
Another one bites the dust!
Yup, let’s see how Mr. Stearns navigates through this one. I don’t care how good a team hits, a leaky bullpen is a grave digger.
I’m not terribly worried. Smith has a track record of getting two outs before giving up a home run, often on a hanging slider. If he could ever finish figuring it out, he could be a good late inning reliever, but I’m not holding my breath after several years of the same old same old. Go find someone better while you’re rebuilding the bullpen.
Yes but who replaced him? Someone worse. That’s the issue.
Bingo. And as the article states, the Mets are already facing other bullpen shortages.
Megill might work.
It’s working for his brother.
@ Cohens_Wallet
Yes. But for now, its depleting depth, but not takin away from the pen that we currently have. And Diaz comes back in a week or so. Reid-Foley could come back a week or two after Diaz.
Sulser has pitched well in AAA, and solidly when he’s been up. And there are a couple of other dark horses in AAA who might provide depth until Stearns can add a piece or two. Calling up Butto or Scott can push Peterson or Megill to the pen.
With the way this roster is constituted, ii might not be the worst outcome for the pen’s to struggle and the Mets wind up as sellers rather than buyers..
I’m all for pushing Megill to the pen but: career-wise, the 1st inning is usually his worst, and he has very little experience out of the pen. Maybe he can approach things differently knowing he only needs a few outs but I’m skeptical. Maybe pushing him into Houser’s role and giving Houser some more higher leverage situations would help. Houser was awful as a starter but has been much better in relief.
Butto should never have been sent down. His walks are an issue but he’s been way better than Megill.
Rct Couldn’t agree more about Butto.
Butto and Scott shouldn’t have been sent down.
Thats just how David Stearns operates – slow, and deliberate. My perception is that Stearns had seen what Butto can do, and now needs to finish vetting Megill (and Peterson). Keep in mind that at the time, the Mets were not going anywhere and fans/press were already condemning them to being sellers. Butto and Scott got 6 to 8 starts each. I suspect that Megill and Peterson will get the same before Stearns makes his definitive decisions on where all 4 belong in the pecking order.
For the record, Mendoza spoke to reporters earlier in the week: The Mets are considering calling up a pitcher from Syracuse. The Mets have 17 games without a day off, and the prevailing idea is to go with a 6-man rotation. Mendoza did say, however, that Megill was going to be here “at least one more time though”. That he only committed to that and not to the entire 17-game stretch suggests to me that the org is already weighing when to pull the plug on Megill.
I agree, the bullpen depth in AAA has been good. They still need SP depth in case one or two go down. Rather than have to get somebody lengthened out again. Your last sentence may be true but Ya Gotta Believe!
Bad break for Drew. This is his showcase year before Free Agency!
Cue the DJ Khaled gif.
and thats the end of drew smith’s mets career
I wouldn’t say that at all. Good chance he signs a team friendly deal to rehab and come back.
“Rehab and come back”…You don’t see a ton of relievers(it’s mostly SP)signing those injury rehab contracts. I think if relievers have long time ties to the team(and community)their chances at signing a rehab/injury contract are greatly increased. All that being said, I do believe Smith’s Mets career is almost certainly over.
No offense and I wish him well but this great news for the Mets. Guy is a mediocre pitcher and gives up so many big hits. Easy solution is move megill to pen when senga comes back
@ DannyDimes
Senga’s still more than 4 weeks away. So that solution doesn’t help in the sort term. by the time Senga comes back, Diaz and Reid-Foley will have returned, anyway. Calling up Scott or Butto for the rotation to push Megill to the pen might be more apropos for now
This isn’t great news for the Mets. Losing decent relievers is never a good thing.
Crap
Mets need to make a run at Mason Miller. He’s the only piece on the market that has real value to him.
I think it happened the time he was forced to come in for the save last week after Díaz was ejected. He got the first two out then called over the team and the trainer before they let him go for one more batter. He gave up a hit, then they brought in Diekman to get the save.
Please. The UCL issues we’ve been seeing these past few years aren’t typically happening on one pitch or one batter or one appearance. Its a cumulation of wear and tear, and the pitchers have usually been on the IL for “elbow strain” a time or two prior to the one that finally gets the diagnosis. Much like Smith was a month ago.
One of the worst in the game. I’ve been saying how bad he is for the past 6 years. Good riddance!
Classy. We sure a s**t could’ve used him today.
probably just thinks daddy drew might finally come home with the milk he promised to bring back in 5 mins.
I feel bad for Danny Young, he caught the LFG “eye” virus and has been awful since then. Just another Brigham/Shintaro i guess.
Megill for Megill. Make it happen.
Manfred surgery!
Rough news for Drew Smith. He’s definitely struggled in some big spots over the years, but he’s also been a solid regular presence in the Mets bullpen for years. Best of luck DS, this ain’t the end of the line for ya
“Ain’t the end of the line”…It’s bad timing for an injury but he’ll be fine. The same thing happened to Chad Greene a couple yrs back; one of the better relievers the prior 5-6 yrs and then Tommy John in his walk year. Since that time Chad Greene has secured $25M+ in guarantees. These players will persevere, it’s really just a matter of whether they get $35M+ in career earnings or $50M+ plus in career earnings.
Relievers are tough to get that multi year deal let alone one during a surgery.
I wonder if the mets might give him maybe a 2 yr 2 mil total contract … a bit over the minimum which i think is 900k (i might be mixing sports) but locks him in for the 2nd year. Its betting on the upside he had at the beginning of the season if not its really nothing dollar / roster wise since he will be on the 60 day dl next season. Shoot Fujinami is getting 3.5M to be on the dl while sporting a worse ERA so far in the majors and a whopping 14 ERA in the minors.